Apparatus for starting rope-pull engines

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for starting small, internal combustion, manually started engines. The apparatus comprises a base frame from which a track extends, ending in a brace which abuts the engine to be started, thereby preventing relative movement between the engine and the apparatus. A carriage having structure for gripping the engine starting handgrip is mounted on the track and may be moved away from the engine and toward a motor-driven pulley on the base frame by means of a cord, extending between the carriage and the pulley, and wound upon the pulley. The pulley may be connected to the drive motor through a normally open clutch. The clutch is actuated to the open position by means of a safety lever which must be actuated by the operator before the pulley will pull the carriage away from the motor to be started. As the carriage reaches a position adjacent the frame upon which the pulley is mounted, it actuates a cam adjacent the end of the track to force the clutch into the disengaged position against the action of the safety lever. The rewind spring of the engine&#39;&#39;s starter, acting through the starting rope, then causes the carriage to move back toward the engine and return to the initial position. There, the carriage actuates a push-bar at the opposite end of the track which pulls the cam away from the clutch-disengaged position, causing reengagement of the clutch for the commencement of another cycle of the operation, if the safety lever is still actuated.

@Qi r191 Feb.27,1973

[ APPARATUS FOR TA1RTING RQPE- PULL ENGHNES [76] Inventor: Kenneth R. McKee, 13761 Gladstone St., Sylmar, Calif. 91342 [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 197,215

[52] 11.8. C1. ..l23/l79 P, 123/179 SE, 123/185 R, 123/185 B, 192/89 A, 192/93 R, 192/143 [51] Int. Cl. ..F02n 17/00, F02n 3/02 [58] Field of Search.123/179 R, 179 E, 179 SE, 179 P,

123/185 R, 185 A, 185 B, 185 BA; 192/143,

Primary Examiner-Allan D. Herrmann Attorney-J. B. McGuire et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for starting small, internal combustion,

manually started engines. The apparatus comprises a base frame from which a track extends, ending in a brace which abuts the engine to be started, thereby preventing relative movement between the engine and the apparatus. A carriage having structure for gripping the engine starting handgrip is mounted on the track and may be moved away from the engine and toward a motor-driven pulley on the base frame by means of a cord, extending between the carriage and the pulley, and wound upon the pulley. The pulley may be connected to the drive motor through a normally open clutch. The clutch is actuated to the open position by means of a safety lever which must be actuated by the operator before the pulley will pull the carriage away from the motor to be started. As the carriage reaches a position adjacent the frame upon which the pulley is mounted, it actuates a cam adjacent the end of the track to force the clutch into the disengaged position against the action of the safety leve'r. The rewind spring of the engines starter, acting through the starting rope, then causes the carriage to move back toward the engine and return to the initial position.

There, the carriage actuates a push-bar at the opposite end of the track which pulls the cam away from the clutch-disengaged position, causing reengagement of the clutch for the commencement of another cycle of the operation, if the safety lever is still actuated.

15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] FEB 2 7 I973 sum 1 my 2 INVENTOR KENNETH R. MC

wmm i B ATT0RNEY5 PAnimEnrmnm 3,718,129

SHEET 2 OF 2 1 NVENTOR. KENNETH R. M KEE A TTORN E Y5 APPARATUS FOR STARTHNG ROFE-PULL ENGINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION line at the free end thereof. The line may be wrapped 1 around the pulley so that when an operator pulls on. the handgrip, he causes the pulley, and thus the crankshaft, to rotate and start. For many such engines, structure is usually provided to automatically rotate the pulley in order to rewind the line without further exertion on the part of the operator.

Engines of this type are often used for such things as power lawn mowers, outboard motors, generators, etc. The design of the manual starting system is one which is reasonably simple and inexpensive, yet allows fairly easy starting of the engine when the engine parts are in good condition, and. the person starting it is strong enough to pull the cord fast enough and far enough so that the crankshaft revolves at a speed to allow the engine to run under its own power. Problems arise with starting such engines, however, when the parts such as the spark plug, carburetor elements, etc. begin to become worn and dirty and fail to operate at their optimum performance. Starting problems also arise when, for some reason, the person attempting to start the engine is unable to pull the cord with sufi'icient force to cause the engine to turn over fast enough for the ignition system to catch and keep the engine running. This latter instance might occur, for example, if the person attempting to start the engine is in ill health, elderly, etc.

In many cases, such engines are hard to start, regardless of the operators strength, since much of the pulling force is wasted unless it is exerted along a line substantially tangential to the engine stming pulley. A simple reference to well-known force-vector relationships quickly reveals that some pulling force is wasted unless the line of pulling is substantially tangential. Nevertheless, in the case of many such engines, it is impossible for an operator to pull in the tangential direction and maintain his balance. Consequently, it is sometimes impossible to start those engines without outside mechanical aids, particularly when the spark plugs are partially fouled, etc.

Therefore it has become desirable to provide a device which will allow the starting of an engine under such conditions, without undue exertion by the person desiring to use it. A variety of such devices have been developed in the past which may be utilized to start such engines, but they have been unsatisfactory in their commercial applications for one or more of several reasons.

Many of the prior art devices embody structures which can be utilized to modify the starting system on such engines in order to allow a motor to be temporarily attached thereto for starting the engine. These are usually unsatisfactory since they require a rather expensive modification of the machinery. in some cases, such a modification can void the warranty on the engine since a mechanic is forced to remove the cowling and disassemble certain parts of the engine in order to install the structure.

Prior art devices have also been found to be unsatisfactory because their addition to an engine usually requires the removal of the manual starting structure. This prevents the operator from restarting the engine if it should stop for any reason at a location remote from a source of electrical power. As is apparent, such an event can be very frustrating in the case of a lawn mower in the middle of a large held, or can even be 0 very dangerous in the case of an outboard motor in the middle of a lake.

Therefore, the prior art devices have proven to be unsatisfactory since they are relatively expensive to add to the engine and are useless in locations remote from a source of electrical power. Further, if the engine should stop in such a remote location, it also becomes useless.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electrically driven device which may be utilized to start an unmodified internal combustion engine by providing a power source which utilizes the standard starting rope of that engine, rather than replacing it.

A device formed in accordance with the present invention is relatively inexpensive and its use will not void any warranties on the engine or the machine with which it is used, since no modification of the engine or machine is required.

in general, the present invention relates to a motordriven device which acts to pull upon the handgrip of a starting rope of an internal combustion engine until a substantial portion of the rope has been pulled from the engine in accordance with the normal starting operation. When the rope is fully extended, the invention allows the rewind system of the engine starter to rewind the rope onto the pulley. At the conclusion of the rewinding, if the engine was not started during the pulling portion of the cycle, the operator can cause the cycle to reoccur until it does start.

More specifically, the invention relates to a frame structure which may be oriented to the engine at any desired location relative to the engine, whether horizontal, vertical, or at an acute angle, in such a way that it may pull the rope through the cowling along a line of direction which is substantially tangential to the starter pulley. The frame is situated at some distance from the engine and is maintained at a fixed distance therefrom by means of a rigid track which is attached to the frame and has an abutment brace at its outer end. The abutment brace is positioned against the engine cowling and the handgrip on the end of the starting rope is attached to a carriage which slides back and forth on the track.

An electric motor of any desired type, for example, utilized to drive a onehalf inch drill, may be used to rotate a shaft in the frame, thereby turning a pulley which may be engaged and disengaged from the shaft by means of a clutch.

The pulley is attached to the carriage by means of a cord which is wound upon the pulley as it turns, thereby pulling the carriage and the handgrip away from the internal combustion engine and toward the frame when the clutch is engaged.

As the carriage approaches the frame, it actuates a cam which causes the clutch to become disengaged and allows the pulley to move in free rotation. If the internal combustion engine being started is provided with an automatic rewind spring which pulls the rope back onto the starter pulley, the handgrip, moving with the rope, will pull the carriage back along the track to the outer position adjacent the engine. When this occurs, the cam will be deactivated, allowing the clutch to become reengagecl, and thereby causing recurrence of the cycle. This can be continued as often as necessary to start the engine.

Therefore, even if the engine electrical or carburation systems should be in less than perfect condition, causing the engine to be hard to start, continued operation of the starting device will normally cause the englue to begin running during at least the second or third cycle. On the other hand, if the engine is in good condition, it will normally begin. operating during the first cycle. After the engine is started, the handgrip can be disengaged from the carriage, and use of the enginedriven machine can begin.

Thus, as is apparent, the engine and the machine which it drives do not require any modification or removal of the Cowling for easy starting by use of the present invention. This allows the machine to be utilized without any possible voiding of its warranty. Further, the device is relatively inexpensive since it does not require the services of a mechanic in attempting to accomplish any modification.

Additionally, since the rope-pull is allowed to remain on the engine, if the engine should quit at a location which is remote from the place that it was started, such as in the middle of a lake or a large field, the operator may, if desired, manually restart the engine in the conventional manner without having to return to the original starting position or some other source of electrical power. Since the engine is usually warmed-up when that occurs, restarting is usually very easy, compared to initial starting.

in order to provide a safety device which prevents an operator from putting his hand in the way of the carriage and handgrip during the cyclic operation of the device, thereby possibly injuring himseli, structure may be .provided which will require the operator to keep one hand in a position to operate the motor and the other on a lever which allows the clutch to be engaged at the proper time. if he should fail to keep his hand on the latter safety lever, the structure will not operate to start the motor and he will be prevented from injuring himself by putting his hand in the way of the carriage as it travels along the track.

It may prove expedient to manufacture the device with a motor which is faxed to the frame, or structure may be provided to allow the use of a hand drill which may be easily attached to and removed from the frame as desired. The use of the latter concept allows the production of the device in an economical manner, resulting in a lightweight commercial product.

As a result of this invention, engines which are hard to start, or which must be started by persons not otherwise strong enough, may be started in a simple and efficient manner. The structure may be employed to start a large number of engines and therefore only one device must be purchased, obviating the requirement of purchasing a different starting device for each engine. Once most of the engines of this type have been started and allowed to warm up, they are relatively easy to restart. if they should be turned oft or should quit for any reason, a quick and light pull on the handgrip will usumly allow the engine to be restarted by even the weakest of operators at locations quite remote from sources of electrical power.

As an additional safety feature of the invention, it should be realized that starters of the type disclosed herein may often be used to start the engines on power driven lawn mowers. Since the track extending from the engine to the starter frame must be substantially long enough to allow a complete extension of the starter rope, and since the operator is required to keep both hands occupied in the area of the starter frame, the possibility of injury to the operator as a result of contact with the lawn mower blades, or impact of a projectile struck by the blades, is substantially diminished.

The invention, together with further objects, advantages, modes, and embodiments will be readily understood by those skilled in the art after review of the following Uetailed Description taken together with the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is presently considered to be preferred embodiments of the best mode of the invention. These illustrated embodiments should be considered to be mere examples of structure utilizing the novel principles of the invention as set forth in the claims and do not, in and of thernselyes, in any way define the invention or its scope.

BELll'iF DESCRWTEON OF THE DRAWINGS PEG. 1. is a perspective illustration, as seen from the right side or" an engine starter formed so as to utilize the concepts of the present invention;

H6. 2 is a plan view of the left side of the starter illustrated in Flt l;

FlG. Ii is a section view of the starter as seen along a line llllll of ZFZG. 2; and

FlGS. 4i and 5 are partial plan views, as seen from the right-hand side, of an alternate embodiment of a portion of the starter, with various structural elements eliminated for the sake of clarity, illustrating different positions in the operation thereof.

BED-LED DESCRlPTlON As shown in MG. ll, one embodiment of structure formed in accordance with the present invention corn prises a housing or frame ill to which a track 13 is mounted so to extend therefrom in the manner illustrated. Although the housing may be supported in any desired fashion and, in some instances, may merely be held in the hand of the person starting the engine, it has been illustrated as being suitably fastened to a supporting element is which, in turn, may be removably mounted in a suitable base or stand 17. The basei'? may be positioned on the iloor or ground and the support 15 may be adjustably located therein by any suitable means such as bolt fi A carriage 1?, having suitable pulling structure 21 which can be utilized to pull on a iiandgrip .23, is slidably mounted on the track 13 so as to move nearly the full dimension thereof in both directions. As viewed in H6. i, when the carriage ll? moves to the left, handgrlp 23 will pull a rope 25 attached to an engine starting system, normally including a pulley with a spring-rewind (not shown), causing rotation within the engine to start it in the well-known manner.

The carriage 19 is drawn away from the engine by means of a cord 27 which is wound upon a pulley 29 within the housing ll. As seen in FIG.- 2, the pulley is fixedly mounted to one-half of a clutch element 31 and the pulley and clutch element are rotatably mounted on a shaft 33. A complementary element 35 of the clutch is fixedly mounted on the shaft 33 and is rotated with the shaft by means of a motor 37 (FIG. 1) which may be operatively connected to the shaft in any suitable manner, such as by a motor drive shaft 39 in the illustrated manner.

The motor 37 can be integrally fastened to the frame 11 by any suitable structure (not shown) which will prevent relative rotation between the frame and the motor housing. Alternatively, the motor utilized to rotate the pulley can be temporarily attached to the frame by structure performing the same function and, when its use for this purpose is terminated, removed from the frame for other jobs. For example, a drill motor, carrying a suitable drive element 39 in its chuck, may be temporarily attached to the top of the frame 11 for operation of the device.

A suitable spring means 43 may be utilized between the upper portion of the frame 11 and the top of the pulley 29 to urge the pulley and clutch element Ell into such a position that the clutch elements 31 and 35 become engaged, causing the pulley to rotate. As the pulley is rotated, it will pull on the cord 2'7, causing the carriage 21 to move toward the frame 11 or, referring again to FIG. 1, toward the left. As a result, the handgrip 23 and rope 25 will also be pulled in the same direction, causing rotation of the engine crankshaft. It will be realized, of course, that the design of the pulley 29 and motor 37 must be such as to cause a rotation velocity of the crankshaft which is sufficient to cause the engine to be started and maintain combustion.

As the carriage is pulled toward the frame and away from the engine, the inertia force within the engine and the force of the rewind spring which tends to pull back on the rope 25 are exerted on the track and frame. The forces tend to resist the motion of the carriage and to pull the frame and track toward the engine. In order to prevent such relative motion, an abutment brace 47 may be mounted on the outer end of the track. in the preferred embodiment, the brace 47 is formed so as to fit around the opening in the engine cowling through which the rope is drawn. Consequently, by adjusting the position of the frame relative to the stand 17, the operator can insure that the device is exerting a straight-line pulling force on the rope.

The normal individual, when starting an engine of 5 this type by hand, usually exerts a force on the rope which is at an acute angle relative to the pulley on the engine. To do otherwise would usually result in the operator's having to assume awkward positions which prevent him from using his full strength and might cause him to fall down. As a result, some of the force exerted by the operator in starting the engine is wasted since only a portion of the force which he exerts at that acute angle is actually applied to the engine pulley to rotate the crankshaft. A simple vector analysis will reveal that the remainder of the force is wasted either in friction between the rope and the Cowling aperture or in an upwardly directed force which is perpendicular to the plane of the pulley.

Proper adjustment of the position of the frame 11 relative to the engine, on the other hand, will cause the present invention to exert a turning force on the engine in a more efficient manner than that normally possible in manual starting since the force can be exerted along a line which is substantially tangential to the engine starting pulley. Therefore, even a hard-to-start engine is more readily started by use of this invention due to the more efficient use of the force exerted on the engine. At the same time, the operator is not required to expend any real effort at all.

Referring now to H6. 2, it is seen that the pulley 29 and clutch element 31 are normally biased downwardly by the force of a spring 43. However, although it is not absolutely essential, it has been found desirable to maintain the clutch in a disengaged relationship so that the operator is required to use two hands to operate the device. In the embodiment illustrated, therefore, he is required to use one hand to operate the motor 37 and his other hand to push against a safety lever 51 which allows the spring 43 to exert its force on the pulley 29 and element 31 causing the clutch elements to become engaged. By thus ensuring that the operator's hands are both occupied, it becomes impossible for the operator to put his hand in the path of travel of the carriage 19 and possibly injure himself.

Although any suitable structure could be utilized to cause the clutch to be normally disengaged against the force of spring 49, a circular groove 53 is shown formed in element 31 and a pair of disengagement arms 55 are slidably positioned within the groove to control the position of the clutch element 31 by acting against the sides of the groove. The arms 55 are immovably fastened to a shaft 57 which is rotatably mounted Within a pair of bearings 59 and 61.

Adjacent one end of the shaft 57, a cam follower bar 63 is immovably fastened to the shaft by any suitable means such as a set screw 65. Immediately adjacent the cam bar, a lever 6'7 is movably mounted on the shaft 57 by means of a bearing 69. As seen in FIG. 1, the safety lever 51 is fixed in the lever 67 so that movement of the safety lever will cause the lever 67 to rotate about the axis of the shaft 57 due to the action of the bearing 69.

In the normal position, the lever 67, acting through a pin 73, elevates the cam follower bar 63 due to the force of a spring which acts to lift the lever 67 or, in other words, to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction about the shaft 57, as seen in FIG. 1.

Thus, the spring 75 pulls the lever 67 in a counterclockwise direction. When the pin 73 engages the undcrsurface of the bar 63., it causes a rotation of the shaft 57, which results in the arms 55 exerting a force against the upper shoulder of the groove 53. In turn, this causes the clutch to be normally disengaged against the force of the spring 43. On the other hand, when the operator pushes the safety lever 51 in the clockwise direction, as seen in H6. 11, the force exerted by spring 75 will be nullified and the force exerted by the spring 43 will cause the clutch elements 31 and 35 to become engaged, allowing the pulley to be rotated. As the element 31 is pushed down by the spring 43, it will cause the arms 55 to rotate shaft 57. This results in the cam follower bar 63 being rotated clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 1) for a purpose to be described below.

In this manner, it is seen that in order for the device to be operated, one of the operators hands must be maintained on the lever 51 at all times or else the carriage cannot be moved toward the frame. if the operators hand is removed from the lever 51, and if the engine is provided with a rewind spring so as to pull the rope 25 back onto the engine pulley, the carriaae 19 will move back toward the engine and away from the frame to the initial starting position.

When the carriage approaches the frame ll, it is necessary that the clutch be disengaged in order to prevent damage to the apparatus and to allow the carriage 19 to return to the initial starting position so that, if necessary, another cycle can be started. in order to accomplish this automatically, since the speed of operation will usually be too fast to allow the operator to oscillate the safety lever 51, a relatively thin strip 81 may be slidably positioned within the track 13, culminating at the rear of the frame 11 in a handle 83 at an intermediate position on the strip Ell, located so as to be closely adjacent the forward part of frame 1 l, a cam element 87 may be fixed.

In operation, when the carriage l9 approaches the frame, (lever 51 being actuated by the operator) it will abut one end of the cam element 537, driving it into the frame 1 i and into contact with a cam follower roller 89 which is mounted on the outer end of the cam follower bar 63 which has been rotated in the clockwise direction (FIG. 1) as described above. When the cam 87 contacts the roller 89, it will cause the cam follower bar 63 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, thereby causing rotation of the shaft 57 with the resultant separation of the clutch elements 31 and 35.

When this occurs, no further force will be exerted by the pulley 29 on the cord 27 and the rewind spring in the engine will act, through the rope 25 and handgrip 23, to draw the carriage 19 back to the starting position. When the carriage approaches the starting position, it will contact the abutment 85, causing the strip 81 to be drawn back to the original position. This, of course, causes the cam 87 to be drawn away from the follower 8%, and the spring 43 will cause the clutch element 31 to again engage the clutch element 35. As the clutch element 31 moves, it will act through the arms 55 and shaft 57 to return the cam follower rod 63 and follower 89 to the operational position.

If, for any reason, the operator desires to cause the carriage to move back toward the frame before it reaches its initial starting position, he can do so by exertin g a force against the handle 83 to drive the strip 81 forward, thereby moving the cam 87 away from the follower with the same result. Since both of his hands will be occupied, he can accomplish this result, for example, by pushing against the handle 83 with his knee.

In order to use this apparatus, an operator places the abutment brace 47 against the outer surface of the cowling in such a way as to position the frame 11 for straight line pulling on the rope 25 as previously described. If necessary, he can adjust the position of the frame relative to the ground by suitably locating the support rod 57 within the stand 17. Alternatively, the stand 17 can be removed altogether, and the operator can hold the frame in his hand. For example, this might be required when an engine to be started is oriented such that the rope must be pulled at some acute angle relative to the ground.

When the device is properly located relative to the engine, and the handgip 23 is placed within the carriage pulling elements El, the operator may start the motor 3'7 and push against the safety lever 51, thereby engaging the clutch elements 3i and 35 under the influence of the spring 43. When the clutch elements are engaged, the pulley 29 will rotate, thereby pulling the cord 27 which is fastened to the carriage 19 by winding the cord onto the pulley. Carriage 39 will pull the handgrip 23, thereby causing rotation of the engine crankshaft. When the carriage reaches the frame 11, it will push the cam 8'7 against the cam follower 89, causing rotation of the shaft 5'7 with consequent separation of the clutch elements In and as.

When the clutch thus becomes disengaged, the rewind structure within the engine will pull the carriage l9 back toward the starting position, at which point the carriage will push against the abutment 85, causing the cam 87 and follower $9 to separate. Upon this separation, the spring 43 will once again cause the engagement of the clutch and the apparatus will commence another cycle of pulling on the engine starting cord.

If, at any time during the operation, the operator should let go of the lever 51, the spring will act through the pin 73 to raise the cam follower bar 63 with a result identical to that which occurs when the cam and cam follower enter into contact with one another. As a result, the clutch will disengage and the carriage will again return to the starting position.

Thus, with this structure, the operator can start the internal combustion engine with a minimum of effort and with a maximum of safety.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 an alternate embodiment of the invention has been illustrated with the safety structure deleted for the sake of clarity. Although not shown in the figures, the safety lever and its related structure could be substantially the same as that previously described or could be a different embodiment which produces the same result.

Referring now to FIG. d there is shown a frame element ill to which a track 1513 is attached in substantially the same manner as that previously described. A strip element 131 extends through the track, carrying a cam element 187 and ending in a handle 183. A pulley 129 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 133, as is a first clutch element E31 which is fixed to the pulley. A second clutch element 135 is fixed to the shaft and the clutch elements are biased into engagement by means of a spring 143.

The structure described thus far, with reference to the second embodiment, is substantially identical to that previously described and functions in substantially the same manner. The pulley 129 is illustrated, however, as having a stepped surface 201 upon which the cord 127 is wound. The cord H27 is attached at the lower inside portion of the pulley so that as it is wound upon the stepped surface 201, the surface upon which it is wound becomes smaller, thereby very slightly decreasing the speed at which the carriage is moved. This will allow a constant speed of rotation of the engine crankshaft to be maintained during the starting of the engine since the starting rope of such engines are normally Wound upon engine pulleys in such a manner that crankshaft rotational speed is increased in proportion to the amount of starting rope withdrawn therefrom. Maintaining a constant speed of rotation of the engine crankshaft by use of the stepped pulley surface increases the operators ability to start the engine by the use of the apparatus.

In the alternate embodiment illustrated in E68. 4 and 5, the clutch element 131 is provided with a rounded cam follower surface 203 as illustrated. The cam follower surface 203 will cooperate with the cam 187 so that, when the cam acts against the cam follower surface 248, the clutch element 131 will become disengaged from the clutch element 135, thereby freeing the pulley for rotation in the opposite direction as the carriage is returned to the starting position under the influence of the engine rewind system. In this manner, the structure illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 eliminates the need for some of the structure shown in the first embodiment such as bar 63, pin 73, and follower 89, without eliminating any of the advantages thereof.

Through the use of the present invention, an internal combustion engine can be started in an easy and relatively efficient manner by persons who might otherwise be unable to start the engine due to the exertion required for pulling upon the starter cord. This is particularly true if the sparkplug or other engine parts should be somewhat dirty, out of timing, etc. The concepts of the invention may be embodied in fairly simple structure which requires no modification of the engine itself or of the machine driven by the engine. Further, the simple structure utilized can be manufactured and assembled to produce a relatively inexpensive but commercially acceptable device which insures the safety of the user.

The applicant has provided two embodiments of a new and improved concept in the art of starting internal combustion engines. The concepts of the invention produce a true advancement in the art as is clearly apparent from a review of this specification.

Many modifications and alterations of those embodiments, fully within the scope of the invention, will now become apparent to those skilled in the art, wherefore what is claimed as the invention is:

1. Apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine comprising a frame member including a track a carriage mounted for movement along said track, means for moving said carriage from a first end of said track to a second end thereof comprising, a pulley mounted on said frame, a tension means connected between said carriage and said pulley, and means for rotating said pulley in a first direction under the influence of motive power delivered thereto, including clutch means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said pulley with a source of motive power, and

means in said track for disengaging said clutch when said carriage is at the second end of said track.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for reengaging said clutch when said carriage is at the first end of said track.

3. Apparatus for starting a rope-pull internal combustion engine having a handgrip means on the rope, comprising a track,

iii

a carriage movably mounted on the track and having means for holding the hand'grip, means for moving the carriage in said track from a position adjacent the engine to a position distant therefrom including clutch means, and means actuated by said carriage for disengaging said clutch when said carriage is distant from the engine and for engaging said clutch when said carriage is adjacent the engine. 4. Apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine having a rope-pull starting system comprising a carriage for gripping the engine rope-pull, a track along which said carriage is pulled away from the engine to be started, and means for pulling said carriage along said track including clutch means for connecting said pulling means to a power source and means for disengaging said clutch when said carriage reaches a first predetermined position on said track. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for allowing said clutch to become reengaged when said carriage is located at a second predetermined position on said track. 6. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for maintaining said clutch in a normally disengaged position, and means for positively overcoming said clutch disengaging means. 7. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for positioning and maintaining said track in a predetermined relationship relative to the engine to be started. 8. Apparatus for exerting a straight-line pulling force over a predetermined distance comprising means for gripping a member to be moved over the predetermined distance, guide means for controlling the direction of movement of said gripping means, means for moving said gripping means in a first direction along said guide means, means for stopping said I gripping means at a predetermined location relative to said guide means, means normmly preventing the application of motive power to said moving means, and operator-controlled means for positively overcoming said preventing means to thereby allow application of motive power to said moving means including means for allowing relative motion between said operator-controlled means and said preventing means to allow said gripping means to be stopped by said stopping means when it reaches the predetermined location relative to said guide means. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for allowing said operator-controlled means to overcome said preventing means and allow application of motive power to said moving means when said gripping means is at any location relative to said guide means other than said predetermined location.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for causing said operator-controlled means to overcome said preventing means and allow application of motive power to said moving means when said gripping means reaches a second predetermined location relative to said guide means at a time that said operator-controlled means is actuated.

1 l. A device for starting an engine having a rope-pull starting system acted upon by a rewind spring comprising means for gripping said rope,

means for pulling said gripping means away from the engine to be started, means for disconnecting said pulling means from a source of power when said gripping means has moved a first predetermined distance from the engine, thereby allowing the gripping means to return to a position adjacent the engine, and

means for reconnecting said pulling means to the source of power when said gripping means has moved to a position adjacent the engine.

12. Apparatus for reciprocally moving a member which is subject to a force continuously exerted in a first direction comprising a pulley,

means for gripping the member to be moved,

flexible means attached between said pulley and said gripping means which may be wound upon said pulley,

clutch means connecting said pulley to a source of motive power,

means for disengaging said clutch means when said gripping means attains a first position relative to said pulley due to rotation of said pulley, and

means for reengaging said clutch means when said gripping means attains a second position relative to said pulley due to the influence of the force continuously exerted upon the member gripped by said gripping means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said pulley includes a stepped surface upon which said flexible means is wound whereby the speed of movement of said gripping means toward said pulley is varied.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for ensuring that an operator must keep both of his hands out of the path of travel of said gripping means by preventing movement thereof unless the operators hands are performing predetermined operations on said apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 including first means for biasing said clutch means into an engaged position,

second means for biasing said clutch means into a disengaged position, and

means for allowing an operator of the apparatus to overcome the force of said second biasing means so as to allow said first biasing means to bias said clutch means into engagement. 

1. Apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine comprising a frame member including a track a carriage mounted for movement along said track, means for moving said carriage from a first end of said track to a second end thereof comprising, a pulley mounted on said frame, a tension means connected between said carriage and said pulley, and means for rotating said pulley in a first direction under the influence of motive power delivered thereto, including clutch means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said pulley with a source of motive power, and means in said track for disengaging said clutch when said carriage is at the second end of said track.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for reengaging said clutch when said carriage is at the fIrst end of said track.
 3. Apparatus for starting a rope-pull internal combustion engine having a handgrip means on the rope, comprising a track, a carriage movably mounted on the track and having means for holding the handgrip, means for moving the carriage in said track from a position adjacent the engine to a position distant therefrom including clutch means, and means actuated by said carriage for disengaging said clutch when said carriage is distant from the engine and for engaging said clutch when said carriage is adjacent the engine.
 4. Apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine having a rope-pull starting system comprising a carriage for gripping the engine rope-pull, a track along which said carriage is pulled away from the engine to be started, and means for pulling said carriage along said track including clutch means for connecting said pulling means to a power source and means for disengaging said clutch when said carriage reaches a first predetermined position on said track.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for allowing said clutch to become reengaged when said carriage is located at a second predetermined position on said track.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for maintaining said clutch in a normally disengaged position, and means for positively overcoming said clutch disengaging means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 including means for positioning and maintaining said track in a predetermined relationship relative to the engine to be started.
 8. Apparatus for exerting a straight-line pulling force over a predetermined distance comprising means for gripping a member to be moved over the predetermined distance, guide means for controlling the direction of movement of said gripping means, means for moving said gripping means in a first direction along said guide means, means for stopping said gripping means at a predetermined location relative to said guide means, means normally preventing the application of motive power to said moving means, and operator-controlled means for positively overcoming said preventing means to thereby allow application of motive power to said moving means including means for allowing relative motion between said operator-controlled means and said preventing means to allow said gripping means to be stopped by said stopping means when it reaches the predetermined location relative to said guide means.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for allowing said operator-controlled means to overcome said preventing means and allow application of motive power to said moving means when said gripping means is at any location relative to said guide means other than said predetermined location.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for causing said operator-controlled means to overcome said preventing means and allow application of motive power to said moving means when said gripping means reaches a second predetermined location relative to said guide means at a time that said operator-controlled means is actuated.
 11. A device for starting an engine having a rope-pull starting system acted upon by a rewind spring comprising means for gripping said rope, means for pulling said gripping means away from the engine to be started, means for disconnecting said pulling means from a source of power when said gripping means has moved a first predetermined distance from the engine, thereby allowing the gripping means to return to a position adjacent the engine, and means for reconnecting said pulling means to the source of power when said gripping means has moved to a position adjacent the engine.
 12. Apparatus for reciprocally moving a member which is subject to a force continuously exerted in a first direction comprising a pulley, means for gripping the member to be moved, flexible means attached between saiD pulley and said gripping means which may be wound upon said pulley, clutch means connecting said pulley to a source of motive power, means for disengaging said clutch means when said gripping means attains a first position relative to said pulley due to rotation of said pulley, and means for reengaging said clutch means when said gripping means attains a second position relative to said pulley due to the influence of the force continuously exerted upon the member gripped by said gripping means.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said pulley includes a stepped surface upon which said flexible means is wound whereby the speed of movement of said gripping means toward said pulley is varied.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for ensuring that an operator must keep both of his hands out of the path of travel of said gripping means by preventing movement thereof unless the operator''s hands are performing predetermined operations on said apparatus.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12 including first means for biasing said clutch means into an engaged position, second means for biasing said clutch means into a disengaged position, and means for allowing an operator of the apparatus to overcome the force of said second biasing means so as to allow said first biasing means to bias said clutch means into engagement. 